Price of a Message
by ShadowRose18
Summary: Set in the middle of City of Ember. A mysterious person asks Lina to deliver a strange message from Doon...to herself. DoonxLina fluffy oneshot .::COMPLETE::.


**ShadowRose18:** I know I'm meant to be writing my Charlie Bone story, but recently I watched City of Ember then read the book and the sequel and am currently obsessed with DoonxLina XD

SO! Before managing to read The People of Sparks, which I finished last night at midnight, I thought of this: a very fluffy DoonxLina one-shot set in Ember.

It could also be set in Sparks, if Lina was a messenger again, but oh well! You can interpret it any way you want.

I think it's kind of sad that there isn't that many fanfictions about the City of Ember nor many about DoonxLina :(

Well, maybe when I have time, I'll try to change that! :D

And my stupid school library doesn't have the Prophet of Yonwood or The Diamond of Darkhold, so this weekend I'll go to the local library to go find it. (I should seriously make them buy it…)

Anyway, DoonxLina! X3

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Price of a Message

Her feet pounded on the cobblestones below her. Her dark hair flew behind her, her red messenger jacket flapping against her. The world passed by her in a blur. She was almost at her station, just another street –

'Messenger!'

She stopped. She ran back a few houses to see old Mrs. Trendol, the mother of Mr. Trendol who had a small stall in the market.

'Will you please tell my son that he has to be home by four o'clock to help me move the armchair?' Mrs. Trendol meekly asked, giving the girl before her twenty cents.

Lina repeated the message and then ran off to find Mr. Trendol. She found him at his usual store and gave him the message. He nodded when she was finished and then tended to a customer.

Lina returned to her station and wandered around, waiting to be called to take a message. She didn't have to wait long.

'Messenger…'

She turned, slightly surprised. Normally the people of Ember yelled out, afraid the messenger would run off without delivering the message, but not this person. She looked for the person who had called out to her.

'Messenger,' they called again. She then realised the voice came from the dark alley on the side. Hesitantly she walked into the alleyway. There was an eerie feel about this alley. Further along, it seemed like no light reached it. She was about to turn around and run back to the light when suddenly a hand shot out of the darkness, grabbed her arm and dragged her into the darkness.

* * *

Lina tried to scream, but a hand was covering her mouth. When she'd been swallowed by the darkness, she'd been pushed roughly, though it seemed rather hesitant, into the cold stone wall.

'I have a message for Lina Mayfleet,' the husky and slightly familiar voice whispered into her ear. Lina tried to tell the person that she was Lina Mayfleet, but the hand around her mouth silenced her cries.

'I will always love you,' the voice said and Lina's eyes widened, 'the message comes from…Doon Harrow.'

As soon as the mysterious person said Doon's name, the hands, silencing her and keeping her against the wall, were gone.

Lina couldn't move for a moment. Shivering, she slowly moved into the bright square. For a moment she stood there blinking at the bright lights, which seemed glaring after the dark alley, but then she was called to deliver a message.

For the rest of the day, she was unusually busy, running here and there and delivering multiple messages a few times. By the end of the day, she was exhausted, but, while running, she had made a decision and she was going to follow it.

'I'm home!' she called as closed the door behind her. She was greeted by her younger sister Poppy, who cried out to her.

'Wy-na! Wy-na!' Lina smiled and picked her up.

'Hi Poppy, did you have fun today?' Lina asked while taking Poppy to the kitchen. Poppy nodded enthusiastically.

'Hi Mrs Murdo, I'm home,' Lina said when she caught sight of Mrs. Murdo cooking their dinner.

'How was your day, Lina?' Mrs Murdo asked, while Lina set the table.

'Good,' Lina responded, while Poppy banged a spoon against the table

They ate their dinner, chatting idly about their day.

After Lina cleaned the dishes, she called to Mrs. Murdo who was cleaning out a cupboard with the help of Poppy.

'I'm going out. I'll be back late,' then Lina walked out the door and onto the streets of Ember.

She liked going out at these times, which was rare. It was about an hour before lights out and most people were either home or on their way home.

She stopped outside the Small Items Shop where she would see Doon's father sorting through some old screws and bolts. He didn't notice her.

Lina climbed the stairs beside the shop to Doon's apartment. She knocked twice.

Someone shuffled behind the door before the door opened and Doon was staring at her with wide eyes.

'Lina?!' he cried, she smiled.

'What are you doing here? At this hour?' Doon asked, surprised.

'I needed to talk to you,' she replied. 'Can I come in?'

'Oh… uh yeah, sorry, wasn't thinking,' Doon answered, opening the door for her to enter. The apartment was rather messy; some of the items from the Small Items Shop lay in piles on the floor.

Instinctively, Lina made her way to Doon's room.

'Is there something interesting in here?' Doon asked when he entered after her.

'Not really, just feel like coming her,' she answered. She liked his room, because it smelled like him.

'So? What's up?' Doon asked, watching her.

Lina's mouth twitched into a nervous smile.

'This morning, someone asked me to deliver a message for them. They were in a dark alley and they said it was for Lina Mayfleet,' she glanced at Doon. His corner of his mouth was trying not to smile. 'The message was 'I will always love you' and it was from you,' she finished.

'So? What do you think?' asked Doon, coming up close to her.

Lina smiled as his hands came around her waist.

'It was you, wasn't it?' she asked, her arms around his neck. Their faces were very close together now, their noses were almost touching. He gave her a crooked grin.

'Why do you think that?' he asked, his warm breath flowing over her face.

'Because,' Lina whispered, bringing her lips close to his ear, 'you would be the only person to forget to pay me,'

Doon laughed. 'You're worried about being paid?' he asked, disbelievingly, looking at her eyes.

'Well, if it was someone else delivering your message they wouldn't be embarrassed and run off without paying me,' huffed Lina, pouting slightly.

'Alright then, ma'am, would you like to be paid now?' asked Doon, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile.

Lina smiled in return. 'Yes, but you, Doon Harrow, have to pay me differently to everyone else,' she replied.

'Do I now?' Doon asked, rubbing his nose into her hair.

'Yes,' whispered Lina.

'And what is this form of payment?' asked Doon, breathing in the scent of her hair.

Lina pulled back slightly, surprising Doon. Placing one finger on his lips she smiled.

'You have to pay me in kisses,' she answered. Doon grinned against her finger. Using his left hand he pulled her hand away and, lips a centimetre from hers, he whispered:

'Then that's a message you'll have to deliver many times,'

And then his lips met hers.

* * *

'Doon?' Doon's father opened the door to the apartment. There were a few more minutes before the lights went out.

Doon didn't answer his father. Suspicious, because Doon rarely ever slept before lights out, his father opened the door to his room quietly.

On Doon's small bed, Lina and Doon were asleep. They were facing each other, and Doon had his arms around Lina, his forehead touching hers. Lina's arms were pulled in close to her, as if she was cold or scared.

Doon's father closed the door silently and chuckled, but he couldn't help the feeling of sadness creep up on him. His son had grown up and their time together was becoming limited.

* * *

Lina woke some time in the night after the lights had gone out. She couldn't see anything, but she could feel Doon's arms around her and she could feel his warm breath on her face. She felt safe and happy. Doon stirred, shifting his arms so that they held her a little closer to him.

She smiled. Finding his lips, she gently kissed them; then snuggled close to the boy she loved and fell asleep again.

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**ShadowRose18:** O.O (about to burst)

TOO CUTE!!!! (bursts)

Reviewers: -.-;

ShadowRose's spirit: heh heh, oops. Originally I didn't have the bit about them falling asleep and Doon's father finding them, nor did I have Lina waking up in the middle of the night, but when I was mid-way I had the image of them falling asleep and it was too cute not to add in XD

Anyway, I'll find my pieces and put myself back together. Meanwhile, please review! :D


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